Seven Teams That Did Well on Draft Day

[Mass Haas]

Our own colbyjack is too modest to tout his Perfect Game work consistently, but we know better. Here's his latest, make sure you set perfectgame.org in your web favorites:

 

www.perfectgame.org/crack...pressions/

[1e Corbeau]

Great article, colby. I think the D-Backs had the best draft, as they always seemed to take the guy I wanted the Brewers to draft a few slots in front of us, especially Brett Anderson.

 

Even more impressive is your iron-willed refusal to inflate the Brewers on a national stage. Here's to your integrity and hard work.

[DHonks]

I was also big on Anderson based on the comments and video.

 

However, I won't yet heap praise on the Dbacks. In 2005 they took Upton followed by 4 or 5 college arms that throw hard. As good as Upton can be, they need 1-2 arms to get to the big leagues for that draft to be truly successful. Although at the time I thought that they had an outstanding draft, it hurts that Neighborall may never pitch in A+.

 

Their draft appears very strong so far, but we'll have to wait and see.

[colbyjack]

Even more impressive is your iron-willed refusal to inflate the Brewers on a national stage. Here's to your integrity and hard work.

 

Nothing stands out to the Brewers draft to me. I'm liking the Gillespie pick more and more now that I have had a few chances to watch him play in the CWS, and think Anundsen could be a Inman-like pick, but once again they fall in love with tools early and not pure baseball ability (like Brett Anderson). I still think the Jeffress pick was a solid pick for value, and I predicted Brewer's future in his player profile (saying he would be a 2nd round pick on athletic ability alone). I'm finding out each and every year that I would take a completely different approach to the draft than Jack Z. does, and that's why he has the job he does and why I am just obsessed with scouting and the draft http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

 

However, I won't yet heap praise on the Dbacks. In 2005 they took Upton followed by 4 or 5 college arms that throw hard. As good as Upton can be, they need 1-2 arms to get to the big leagues for that draft to be truly successful. Although at the time I thought that they had an outstanding draft, it hurts that Neighborall may never pitch in A+.

 

Interesting. You certainly have taken a different approach viewing their drafting efforts this year. I remember having a similar conversation with you last year in which you praised the D-Backs '05 draft (as you mention) and give their pitching depth quite a bit of credit. I was more skeptical then, and am a lot more encouraged about their draft this year. I was never a huge Neighborgall fan. It doesn't matter if you throw 100 mph, you gotta throw strikes.

[DHonks]

Interesting. You certainly have taken a different approach viewing their drafting efforts this year. I remember having a similar conversation with you last year in which you praised the D-Backs '05 draft (as you mention) and give their pitching depth quite a bit of credit

 

I want to wait till the end of the year with them. I really liked the adding of college pitching to their system, since it attempted to fast-track high ceiling arms that don't need to be babied like HS picks. However, I'm more a fan of HS pitchers, taking the 5 year plan rather than the 2-3 year plan.

 

I was never a huge Neighborgall fan. It doesn't matter if you throw 100 mph, you gotta throw strikes.

 

It said a lot when I helped out in Dbacks minor league camp, and the trainers warned me not to go near the backstops when Neighborall is pitching. Seeing him assigned to extended spring training as what, a 23 year old. I hope the '05 and '06 drafts work well. Like I said, I really like the Anderson drafting. We'll see what happens. Later tonight I'll look up how their '05 arms are doing, but when I checked around May 1st it wasn't what I'd hoped.

 

Edit: Okay, they're doing better than I thought. Torra hasn't pitched yet this year. But Owings has done well in AA, reaching hitter friendly Tucson where he's led them to a win. Smith has done very well so far in A+, and Green has been yucky. As mentioned before, Neighborall doesn't exist on paper really. Pretty crazy that they have Owings in AAA already. So that quickly changes my view of the draft more towards last year. If another arm or two can step up, then it could go down as a fantastic one.

 

Still, I wonder why they took so many pitchers again. Their previous success has been in drafting guys like Carter, Quentin, Hairston, etc. So why suddenly stop taking hitters high in the draft?